No one takes the league cup seriously. It's just an opportunity to give backup players a few minutes. A few injuries and the like can mean that first team players can also get burned out. The league cup justifies scrapping due to its little relative importance. The revenue gained from the competition is negligible. Winning a champions league game holds higher prestige and puts a lot more pocket in the pockets of clubs that winning a few league cup games.
The Premier League Thread
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Funnily enough, the two things that make us The Best League in the World(tm) are also the things that screw us up compared to other nations.
High standard of competition throughout the table means far fewer matches where you can just roll out the reserves/play at 50% and still expect to get a result. The fact that clubs like ******* Sunderland have taken points off City and Chelsea in recent years despite being generally awful is a good indicator of that. It almost doesn't matter if the midtable clubs don't actually turn up with that fire in their bellies, the fact that they might and if they do they have the potential to actually turn it into a draw or a win is enough to keep top clubs from properly resting players. The huge burst of TV money will only make that worse.
The same can be said for the winter break and again it's part of the league's appeal. There is no chance in **** that it will be scrapped because doing so would stop there being football in the run up to and immediate aftermath of Christmas. The festive fixture list is a huge draw for sponsors and tv companies due to its timing and lack of equivalent competition. I mean, who doesn't love that little fortnight of what seems like never ending football? Mince pie in one hand, cup of tea in the other, freezing cold outside and football on the telly when you actually have time to enjoy it. Bliss.
High standard of competition throughout the table means far fewer matches where you can just roll out the reserves/play at 50% and still expect to get a result. The fact that clubs like ******* Sunderland have taken points off City and Chelsea in recent years despite being generally awful is a good indicator of that. It almost doesn't matter if the midtable clubs don't actually turn up with that fire in their bellies, the fact that they might and if they do they have the potential to actually turn it into a draw or a win is enough to keep top clubs from properly resting players. The huge burst of TV money will only make that worse.
The same can be said for the winter break and again it's part of the league's appeal. There is no chance in **** that it will be scrapped because doing so would stop there being football in the run up to and immediate aftermath of Christmas. The festive fixture list is a huge draw for sponsors and tv companies due to its timing and lack of equivalent competition. I mean, who doesn't love that little fortnight of what seems like never ending football? Mince pie in one hand, cup of tea in the other, freezing cold outside and football on the telly when you actually have time to enjoy it. Bliss.
lxl Ra lxl
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Imo, It is about setting priorities. Ofcourse the intensity of the League, having nearly every week 2 matches and not having a break during the winter is very hard for the players, but this has been for ages.
A huge difference with the top teams of the EPL and the 3 top teams, Madrid, Barca and Bayern, is that they have a deeper quality bench. They can actually rest their Robben or Ribery during competition games, because players like Muller or Götze take over their spot without any problem.
So the problem is, where does the problem lie? I think it is partly because of the way premier league clubs are buying their players. Ofcourse you have the famous home-grown quotum which puts a premium on talent, but the players who are being brought in the last few years do not cover the gaps by the "deadwood" who are sold. It is like you are willing to make one or two expensive transfers and willing to compensate by letting 5 squad players go. That's one reason why your quality depth isn't as good as the other teams.
Another reason is that the managers don't prioritise the European games as much as other countries do. At this moment it looks like all the managers really care about is playing in the 1/8th finals against the top top teams. They forget to have a chance to play against them, you first have to reach to the 1/8th finals, and after that you need to have enough experience how to beat european teams. To me it seems like the managers rate a game against mid-table teams in the BPL higher than a match in the group fase against a 2-4th seeded club.
TL;DR Invest in quality depth and prioritise the european games over BPL games like all other clubs are doing.
I think you're totally wrong here. Particularly Barcelona don't have great squad depth looking at the squads. Barcelona are particularly notorious for having little substance after their starting 11. They have no cover after Messi, Neymar and Suarez. Suarez is their only natural striker. They've struggled in central midfield and defence with very few injuries. They kept Xavi for another year because they didn't have enough depth! Premier league clubs have great depth.
A telegraph article shows that Arsenal and United can field 2 strong 11's! Ribery isn't being rested, he has a long term injury. Muller has started pretty much every game this season. The Bundesliga is not like the premier league on a competitive level. The Bundesliga is a top league, however the competition isn't he same. Premier league teams do prioritise European games. That case can only be argued for the Europa League realistically.
lxl Ra lxl
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I don't think you understood my point. I meant to say: given that the BPL is so intense you will need to have a great quality depth. First to be able to compete in europe and second to still be able to win mid-table matches in the BPL.
You're speaking as if the only teams that have a say are the top 5-10 teams in the Premier League. For the Champions League teams, sure, it's an opportunity for the youngsters. But for smaller teams, it's an opportunity to challenge the big teams, cause an upset and maybe even win a trophy. Statements like "no one takes the league cup seriously" just dumbs down the conversation.
It's just that other European countries have one domestic cup competition, while we have an unnecessary extra one, which holds virtually no prestige.
Scouseinthehouse
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Brilliant to see the 'TwentysPlenty' campaign being picked up by fans from all four divisions this weekend.
Enough is ENOUGH!
*Edit* Of course MOTD didn't give it one single mention. A/Holes.
Enough is ENOUGH!
*Edit* Of course MOTD didn't give it one single mention. A/Holes.
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Says a lot about how rotten the club has become that even an experienced manager like him has washed his hands off the mess. No doubt they will survive by the skin of their teeth again when the players suddenly realise they are in a relegation battle and then start to fight for each other
Some of the criticism of Brendan Rodgers has been pretty shameful to be honest (not referring to here-just been visiting Liverpool forums and threads since the news). I've been on this forum long enough for people to know what I'm like with criticism or opinions, be it on my own team Everton, or Man Utd-**** I've supported some Liverpool players in the past. But to me, some-some-of the criticism has been pretty harsh.
2013/2014 was a tiny mistake away from the title. Greater achievement than Istanbul perhaps? who knows. When people say the only reason that Liverpool did so well because of Suarez alone....bollocks. Rodgers bought the best out of Suarez. He was tremondous. He also brought the best out of Sturridge. Then was Sterling aswell. So those who say it was purely down to Suarez-no just no. It was not a one man team like some are suggesting. They had tremondous quality, and BR brought the best out of some of them. Dalglish was manager and even he didn't get the best out of Suarez.
His intention was to introduce smooth attacking football to the pitch. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. And in no way could you question he wanted to the best for the club. But that's not my main issue.
If you are going to give a manager a f*** tonne of cash in the summer, then after 8 matches sack him-you should pretty much go elsewhere because you're clearly not cut of for a club like Liverpool. Or any football club to be honest, especially when you sack the manager by telephone. You have no dignity. You have no place at the club. To be polite you're just a cretin and you're not fit to be in your role. You lack any ounce of dignity or etiquette. These sort of people should not be in football or any sport because yeah they may have a tonne of cash. But they can just as easily bring down a club aswell.
I think if Rodgers had a few more years experience he would have done a great job. It was unfortunate this all happened. I think it became apparent he was becoming out of his depth. In a few years he will be a quality manager imo. In a way this experience will help him, and he will return to a big club, I don't have a doubt about that
2013/2014 was a tiny mistake away from the title. Greater achievement than Istanbul perhaps? who knows. When people say the only reason that Liverpool did so well because of Suarez alone....bollocks. Rodgers bought the best out of Suarez. He was tremondous. He also brought the best out of Sturridge. Then was Sterling aswell. So those who say it was purely down to Suarez-no just no. It was not a one man team like some are suggesting. They had tremondous quality, and BR brought the best out of some of them. Dalglish was manager and even he didn't get the best out of Suarez.
His intention was to introduce smooth attacking football to the pitch. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. And in no way could you question he wanted to the best for the club. But that's not my main issue.
If you are going to give a manager a f*** tonne of cash in the summer, then after 8 matches sack him-you should pretty much go elsewhere because you're clearly not cut of for a club like Liverpool. Or any football club to be honest, especially when you sack the manager by telephone. You have no dignity. You have no place at the club. To be polite you're just a cretin and you're not fit to be in your role. You lack any ounce of dignity or etiquette. These sort of people should not be in football or any sport because yeah they may have a tonne of cash. But they can just as easily bring down a club aswell.
I think if Rodgers had a few more years experience he would have done a great job. It was unfortunate this all happened. I think it became apparent he was becoming out of his depth. In a few years he will be a quality manager imo. In a way this experience will help him, and he will return to a big club, I don't have a doubt about that
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Scouseinthehouse
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And you could equally argue act that if he had any idea of how to set up a team defensively, he'd of had that league wrapped up before the Chelsea game. (Where he should of shut up shop but naively thought he could go guns-ho.). We may of had a historically good season attack wise scoring a 100 plus. But we had an equally historically woeful one defensively conceding 53. It's impossible to NOT look at the influence of Suarez having a career year in '13/'14 and his influence on everyone else in that side. His style of play was consistently the same right through his L'pool career. The ONLY way he knows how to play. ALL out for the full 90 minutes. And that's infectious on everyone around him. But '13/'14, he just had a year for the ages in front of goal. The first 5 games he missed (4 in the league and Notts County the Lge Cup); we'd struggled woefully with 3 1-0's and a loss at home to Southampton. Then he came back, never missed a minute. and was absolutely sensational.
You can't take '13/'14 away from Brendan as he was the manager and got us to within a game of the title with the 5th/ 6th worst squad gong in. But it's also MORE than fair to say he played his own massive part in not securing that title. Both with the way the attack was flying and him completely and utterly neglecting the defensive side. And his tactics the last three games when it was in our own hands.
You can't take '13/'14 away from Brendan as he was the manager and got us to within a game of the title with the 5th/ 6th worst squad gong in. But it's also MORE than fair to say he played his own massive part in not securing that title. Both with the way the attack was flying and him completely and utterly neglecting the defensive side. And his tactics the last three games when it was in our own hands.
You mean Rodgers loaning out Reina and buying Simone Flapalot? That's no tiny mistake, that's Big Ben riding on a Godzilla mistake. With Reina they would've won it. Not only he's better goalkeeper, but can you imagine that excellent counterattacking team playing of Reina's trademark throws? I can and it makes me warm in the pants.
Seriously though, Gerrard's slip may have become a symbol, but they would still lose the title because of Palace game anyways.
And let's not forget about a
Obviously you haven't heard of Ibe, who has been brilliant all season, just as good like the boys in the Liverpool thread sa-
...
Oh.
Just shows how monumentally FSG ****** up. If they hired Klopp in the summer, Sterling probably would have stayed and Liverpool would have been far better off for it.
It's clear as daylight that Sterling is going to be world-class. Now Liverpool have to rely on the superstar that is Divock Origi and Sturridge who can't stay healthy to save his life
It's clear as daylight that Sterling is going to be world-class. Now Liverpool have to rely on the superstar that is Divock Origi and Sturridge who can't stay healthy to save his life
As the season goes on, the comparison only becomes more hilarious. Sterling is now destroying EPL teams while playing alongside world-class players for a Champions League team. Ibe can't even get into a Europe league Liverpool team going through an injury crisis
Good PR skills is no substitute for actual ability on the footballing pitch